SALT LAKE CITY — Martha Hughes Cannon is finally on the move. Her statue, that is.
After years of waiting due to the pandemic, the statue of Utah's first female state senator is set to make the journey to Washington, D.C. to take her place inside National Statuary Hall.
The official sendoff of the Cannon statue will take place on June 5 at the Utah State Capitol, over six years after the state legislature voted to send her to D.C. to replace the statue of television inventor Philo Farnsworth inside the esteemed hall.
Not only did Cannon serve in the Utah State Senate, but she was a physician and suffragette, while also founding what later became the Utah Department of Health.
Back in 2018, the legislature approved the move for a statue of Cannon to stand beside one of Brigham Young inside Statuary Hall, but the pandemic delayed the actual move. Her statue has been sitting inside the Utah State Capitol ever since, waiting for the chance to make a move east.
"After six long years, I am thrilled to finally see this trailblazing pioneer of women’s equality assume her rightful place in the halls of our nation’s capitol building.” said Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. “The impact Utah women had on the national women’s suffrage movement has for too long been overlooked. Martha’s statue is more than a reminder of her individual accomplishments. She symbolizes the contributions of all the Utah women whose persistent and righteous efforts not only secured their own equal rights, but also ensured ours.”
Comprised of 100 statues, Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol is filled with two statues representing each state. Farnsworth's statue, designed by James R. Avati, was installed in the nation's capitol in 1990.
While the Martha Hughes Cannon statue will begin its journey to D.C. in June, there is no word yet on when it will be installed inside Statuary Hall. A sendoff for the public to attend will be held outside the Utah State Capitol on June 5, between 5-8 p.m., with live music, food truck and activities for all ages.
